Recycle BC is launching a campaign encouraging British Columbians to use their time at home during the COVID-19 pandemic to become better recyclers. The online campaign takes residents room-by-room and item-by-item, helping them identify the residential packaging and paper people are least likely to recycle, based on a survey of 1,000 residents.

"Most people have been home for a few weeks now, and we are hoping those who are healthy and looking for something to do will take a moment, maybe on their lunch break or weekend, to review all of the opportunities we have identified," said David Lefebvre, Recycle BC's Director of Public Affairs. "We know British Columbians take their recycling seriously. We hope this campaign will help them take their recycling efforts to the next level."

By highlighting materials that are accepted in the Recycle BC program, the survey found residents are still throwing out some items when they could be recycled. Respondents reported the highest recycling rates for paper products, while glass jars and plastic packaging was lower. All rooms throughout the house presented opportunities for people to increase the items they recycle. The easiest ones included:

Bathroom

• 33 per cent throw away metal aerosol containers (e.g. hair spray, air freshener)
• 21 per cent throw away metal containers (e.g. hair product, hand cream)
• 13 per cent throw away hard plastic containers (e.g. shampoo and mouthwash)

Kitchen

• 23 per cent throw away spiral wound cans and metal lids (e.g. frozen fruit juice, chips, cookie dough)
• 17 per cent throw away non-deposit cartons (e.g. soup, ice cream, chicken stock)

Laundry room

• 30 per cent throw away aerosol metal containers (e.g. air freshener, disinfectant)
• 21 per cent throw away metal containers (e.g. laundry detergent, shoe polish)

Garage and outdoor area

• 14 per cent throw away hard plastic packaging (e.g. tools and windshield wipers packaging)
• 10 per cent throw away plastic plant pots.

All of these items are very easy to recycle as residents can include them in their curbside recycling collection. In addition, the survey found many residents are not returning depot-only materials, like plastic bags and foam packaging, as often as they could. Residents either throw them in the garbage or put them in their curbside recycling, which is not permitted and can affect the environmental performance of recycling. Specific, room-by-room findings can be found on the Recycle BC website here.

The survey provided interesting insights into why people are not recycling as much as they could be. Nearly three quarters (72 per cent) of respondents indicated they were not sure if the items are accepted in the Recycle BC program, and nearly a quarter said it was "too gross" as a result of old food or product in it.

"We want to empower people to recycle more by providing information on our website and encouraging people to download the Recycle BC app, where residents can easily search a variety of products and determine what can be recycled and how," Lefebvre said. "This is something families can do while they are at home together. We are inviting people to follow our social media channels and follow along each day as we explore a different room in their homes and the recycling possibilities."

Recycle BC is launching the information campaign online this week on its website and social media channels: Instagram, Facebook and Twitter. The campaign will also direct British Columbians to RecycleBC.ca/HomeTour for complete listings of what can be recycled and how.

Recycle BC
Recycle BC is a not-for-profit organization responsible for residential packaging and paper recycling throughout BC, servicing more than 1.8 million households. Recycle BC ensures household materials are collected, sorted, and responsibly recycled. The program is funded by more than 1,200 businesses, such as retailers, restaurants, manufacturers, distributors and franchisors that supply packaging and paper to BC residents, shifting costs away from homeowners. Over the last five years, businesses have provided more than $400 million in funding and Recycle BC has collected more than 1 million tonnes of material. More than 98 per cent of B.C. households have access to Recycle BC's services.